Skid platform



c. CLAR K SKID PLATFORM July 12, 1938.

Filed Feb. 18, 1937- FIQZ INVENTOR. M 4 @404 A TTORNEYS.

Patented July 12, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,123,714 sxrnPLATFORM Carl L. Clark, Warren, Ohio Application February 1a, 1937.Serial No. 126,420 3 Claims. (01. 248-120) The invention relates tomaterial handling platforms commonly called skid platforms, which areused either directly or combined with boxes, stakes, casters, cranehooks, rings, runners, and a the like, for storing, handling andtransporting parts, both large and small, and heavy or light,

in a manufacturing plant.

I More particularly, the invention relates to a skid platform made froma single blank of sheet 1. or plate metal, preferably steel, and formedintegrally with longitudinally extending legs and spaced stiffeningcorrugations extending transversely of the platform deck and legs.

A skid platform is'usually transported or han- 16 died either by a handor a power operated lift truck, the lifting platform of which is passedunderneath the skid platform deck between the legs thereof, and iselevated or lowered for transporting or locating the platform and loadcarried 90 thereby.

The strength or stiffness of such a skid platform is dependent upon thenumber and shape of the stiffening corrugations; and these con'ugationsmust run around the corners between the 8 legs and deck so as tostrength at such corners in order to prevent spreading or collapse ofthe legs when a loaded platform is being handled.

In prior types of skid platforms, failures fre- 80 quently occur at thecomers, particularly at the a Jected when the'lifting platform of alifting truck strikes the platform leg with a glancing blow, as thetruck lifting platform is entered beneath the skid platform to pick upthe skid platform.

, v A glancingblow of this type frequently bends do the leg outwardunder such severe shock conditions that the metal atthe comer bends inthe skid platform corrugations, cracks or ruptures and the skid platformeventually fails by flattening out.

ll Accordingly. it is a principal object of the present inyentlo'n tomaterially increase the strength of a corrugated sheet or plate metalskid platform at the corners between the platform legs and deck. andparticularly at the corner bends in the corrugations thereof.

A further object of the. present invention is to provide an improvedtype of corrugation arrangement so shaped at the corners that severeshock loads will be withstood without failure.

In prior types of skid platforms the metal at provide stiffness andthecorner bends in the corrugations has been usually excessively workhardened when the corners are formed between the platform deck and Thiswork hardening develops brittleness result that the brittle areas crack,fracture or rupture, after a slight bending caused by a glancing blow.In other types, where the metal in the corners has not been excessivelywork 10 hardened, the shape of the corrugations in the corners has beensuch that the corners lack sufllcient strength to withstand severeloads, with the result that the legs are bent out of normal position andfailure results. 5 Accordingly, it'is a further object of the presentinvention to provide an improved corrugation consisting of relativelyshallow recessed corrugations with relatively narrow raised center ribstherebetween with contours so shaped, at the corner bends in thecorrugations and center rib of a corrugated sheet metal skid platform,that a minimum amount of work hardening occurs at and adjacent to thecorner bends in the corrugations and center ribs; so that the metalthereat retains considerable resilience and "therefore ability towithstand severe shock loads without damage or failure.

Moreover, it'is an additional object of the present invention to providean improved corner construction of 'a corrugated sheet metal skidplatform which retains strength and stiffness even though the legs maybe excessively bent from a normal location; as a result of a sidewiseshock blow, without causing a rupture or failure of the metal at thecomer. 7

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide acorrugated sheet metal skid platform with the advantageous features,characteristics and construction described, in a simple and in- 40expensive manner.

These and other objects may be obtained by the improved construction, apreferred embodiment of which is shown in the accompanying drawing, andis hereafter described in detail and 5 each side of the deck with acorner between each leg and the deck; spaced groups of corrugationstransversing the deck, legs and corners; each group consisting of a pairof depremed relatively shallow corrugations with a relatively RI of thecenter rib narrow raised stiffening center rib between each pair ofcorrugations; each group of corrugations and .center rib at the cornerbends joining and blending into the corrugations in the deck and legs ina gradual curve while the corner bends between these groups join thedeck and legs in a short abrupt curve.

In-the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a corrugated sheet metal skid platform havingthe improved comer construction;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the platform shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the platform shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of a sheet metal blank from which theimproved skid platform is made, spaced groups of pairs of recessedcorrugations with raised relatively narrow center rib having been formedtherein;

Fig. 5 'is an end elevation of the corrugated blank shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view thru a center rib,showing one comer of a skid platform having the improved cornerconstruction;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of a skid platform showing theimproved corner construction and the grouping of the pairs ofcorrugations and center rib;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-4 Figs. 2, 6,and 10, the dash lines showing the modification in contour in Fig. 10;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section taken on the line l-l Fig. '1;

Fig. 10 is an view thru a center rib skid platform having the improvedcorner construction as shown 'in Fig. 6 but modified as to contour ofthe double corrugations.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various figuresin the drawing.

A sheet metal skid platform is generally indicated at ill in Figs. 1-,2, 3, and 7 and includes a horizontally deposed deck generally indicatedat 9 and legs generally indicated at 8 formed integrally with the deck.The deck 9 is preferably generally rectangular in outline and is spacedfrom the floor or the like A by the legs 8 which extend preferablylongitudinally of the deck 9 in a generally vertical position and arepreferably continuous at the marginal side edges of deck 9, as shown,thereby forming corners generally indicated at H (Fig. 2) between eachleg 8 and the deck 9.

A series of spaced, pairs of recessed corrugations 5 and 6 and raisednarrow center rib l traverse the deck 9 in a crosswise manner and extendaroundthe corners Ii and downward in each leg 8. The corrugations 5 and6 and the center rib I are shown as approximately half round in crosssection, but it is understood that the particular shape is notessential, as they may be somewhat trapezoidal-channeled, U shaped, vshaped, or other shape if desired.

It is to be particularly noted by referring to Figs. 1, 3, and '1, thatthe double corrugations I and 8 and center rib l extend around thecorners ii as well as across the deck 8 and down the legs 8; and are ofuniform contour and depth throughout their length except in the comers Has shown in Figs. 6 and 10. Further, the'radius 4 is substantiallygreater the corner ll at I. This reone is to keep the enlargedfragmentary sectional than radius R3 of lation serves two purposes:

showing one comer of a.

outside corner radius R3 as small as possible (about one-half inch orless) in order that the flat portion of deck 9 willbe as wide aspossible:

thereby providing better support for the lower rugations at the cornersand localized upsetting and buckling in said corrugations which woulddestroy the resiliency of the consequently materially lessen corners ii.

In Fig. 6 the radii RI and R2 indicate the contour of the center rib land the bottom portion of corrugations 5 and 8 respectively aroundcomers II in which said radii have a common center it. This is thepreferred relationship of said radii but the upsetting action, caused bythe bending of carriers all to form legs 0, tends to cause the center ofradius R! to take a position as at ll while the center of radius BI isat I! as shown in Fig. 10.

It is to be understood that thevcontours indicated by radii RI and R2 atcorners ii will not necessarily lie within the arcs described by saidradii as the upsetting and stretching action set up during the formingofsaid corners II will deflect said contours out of the paths of said arcsand that radii RI and R2 are used only to show the general andapproximate outline of said contours.

It is to be further understood that the contour of the doublecorrugations and I in deck a and legs 8 need not be of uniform sectionthroughout the length thereof to lie withinthe scope of this inventionas they may, for instance. be deeper or shallower, wider or narrowerthroughout a portion of their length, or of contours different fromthose shown, but conditions incident to the manufacture of corrugatedskid platforms of various widths render uniform sections in deck S andlegs I preferable.

It is to be further understood that the scope of the invention is notlimited to the particular shapes and contours shown, but changes can be'made in such contours without departing from the invention disclosed.

Moreover, with the improved construction, even though portions of theleg I may be severely bent outwardly due to a glancing blow. the legswill still support a load because the corner constructions do not failor break, even with excessive bending, as compared with prior types ofskid platform corner constructions wherein breakage occurs after only aslight bending, due to brittleness incident to excessive wbrk hardening.

I have likewise discovered that when the grain of the metal in the sheetsteel blank it runs parallel with the direction of the corrugations Iand i, as indicated by arrow of the skid platform corners is increasedmore than ten percent.

Further, it is to be understood that it is within the scopeof thepresent invention: that the corrugations in the deck and legs of theskid platform he a series of single recessed corrugations, with doublecorrugations running around the corners in a gradual curve and joiningand. merging in the deck and leg corrugations, while the porbedistributed metal therein andthe strength of C in Fig. 2, the streng hcessed corrugations and tions of the corners between successive doublecorrugations join the deck and legs in a short abrupt curve, each saiddouble corrugation consisting oi! two recessed corrugations with araised center rib or corrugation therebetween; that the corrugations inthe deck be a series of single rethe corrugations in the legs be aseries of double corrugations each consisting of two recessedcorrugations with a raised center rib therebetween, or the reverse, anddouble corrugations in the corners each consisting of two recessedcorrugations with a raised center rib therebetween, running around thecorners in a gradual curve, while the portions of the corners betweensaid double corrugations in the corners join the deck and legs in ashort abrupt curve.

' It is further to be understood that it is within the scope of thepresent invention that the corrugations in the deck, legs and corners bea series oi corrugations comprising recessed corrugations and raised ribcorrugations, the word raised meaning that the top of the ribcorrugation extends above the bottom portion oi the recessed corrugationtoward or above, for instance, the surface as indicated by the flatportion of the skid platform, I, in Fig. 7, the corrugations runningaround the corners in a gradual curve while the portions of the cornersbetween successive corrugations Join the deck and legs in a short abruptcurve.

Having now described the features of the in vention and the advantagesand results obtained thereby; the new and useful parts, elements,devices, combinations and constructions, and reasonable mechanicalequivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forthin the appended claims.

What I claim is as iollows:

1. In a sheet metal skid platform having a deck a double corrugation,cessed corrugations joined together with a raised center ribtherebetween, running around each corner, joining and merging into thedeck and portion of each corner not defined within a.double corrugationjoining the deck and each leg in a short abrupt curve and the raisedcenter rib in each corner Joining'the deck and a leg corrugation in alonger more gradual curve and merging thereinto.

3. In a sheet metal skid platform having a deck and marginal uprightlegs with corners therebe tween formed integrally from' a single metalblank, a double corrugation, consisting of two recessed corrugationsJoined together by a raised center rib therebetween,

raised center rib in each corner joining a corrugation in the deck and acorrugation in a leg in a longer more gradual curve, and the grain ofthe metal in the sheet blank running parallel with said deck traversingcorrugation.

CARL L. CLARK.

of double corrugations, consisting

